Tubes



4 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

C. KELLOGG.

MACHINERY POR ROL-LING TUBES.

No. 324,117. Patented Aug. ll, 1885.

Wfl/ames:

N. P/ETERS, Fhutu-lixhagrzpher. wnnhingmn. D c.

(N0 Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.. C. KELLOGG.

MACHINERY FOR ROLLING TUBES.

Patented Aug. 11, 1885L l rmey @v Ey www ew.-

N, PETERS, Pnawumogmpm, wnmngxm n. c.

4 sheets-sheet 3.

(Nlo Model.)

C. KELLOGG.

MACHINERY PoR ROLLING TUBES.

L, Patented Aug. 11l 1885.

Y4Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

C. KELLOGG.

MACHINERY POR ROLLING TUBES.

No. 324,117. Patented Aug. 11,1885.

92H52@ Ww UNITED STATES PATENT trice.

CHARLES xnLLoGG, vor BFFALo, NEW YORK.

MACHINERY FORa ROLLING TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,117, dated August 11, 1885.

' Appncanon mea May i3, 1894. (No modal.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs KELLoGG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of Newv York, have invented a new and useful Process of' and Machinery for Rolling Tubes and other Hollow Cylindrical Articles, of which the fol lowing Ais a specification. Y

My invention relates to seamless tubes, pipes, colurrns, boiler-shells, iiues, and other hollow cylindrical articles made of metal, and to machinery or apparatus for manufacturing and rolling the same from hollow ingots and piles of steel, iron, or other metals, and from hollow billets of homogenous iron or other metal.

Heretofore tubes, pipes, and other hollow cylindrical or tubular articles have been made with a seam, either by lap or butt welding, or, if seamless, by casting or by rolling the hollow ingot or pile over mandrels by successive passes of the heated ingot or pilethrough a train of rolls, or by reciprocating passes through a universal mill over double mandrels.

The objections to the welded tube, pipe, or other article are too well known to require de-V tailing here; but in the case of the seamless tube, to the method of rolling them by successive passes, the objection lies that the rolling from the ingot to the finished tube requires a number of heats and the expenditure of considerable time and-labor; and, further, it is .impossible to roll tubes beyond a limited diameter on account of the diculty of preventing the collapsing ofthe shell when heated,and the further difficulty of rolling the tube true difficulties which it has been found impossible to overcome. The method of rolling by re ciprocating passes over double mandrels in a universal mill, while free from the objection of requiring a number of heats, is, on the other hand, inapplicable to rolling tubing, Snc., of very large diameter, as the necessity under that method of heating the Whole ingot before commencing the rolling renders it impossible to sustain the shell while passing through the mill. A further objection to making large tubing, 8m., by the methods heretofore practiced is that the heat from the mass of metal is so great that it is'impossible for the work# men to operate the machinery efficiently.

The object of my invention is, first, to roll tubes and other hollow cylindrical articles to the proper form and size by one pass through the rolls, by rolling hollow ingots, piles, or billets longitudinally and circumferentially and inside and outside simultaneously; second, to avoid heating the whole ingot, pile, or

billet previous to rolling, and the consequent liability of the saine collapsing, which I accomplish by heating the ingot, pile, or billet immediately in front of the rolls while the rolling is in progress, and that portion only of the ingot, pile, or billet which is about to pass between the rolls.

The invention therefore consists in rolls arranged to operate simultaneously and at right angles to each other upon the external and internal walls ofthe hollow ingot, pile, or billet from which the tube is to be formed; also, in a furnace adapted to be placed inside the ingot, pile, or billet and heat the surface of the same uniformly on every side.

The invention further consists in devices for regulating the reduction of the walls of the ingot, pile, or billet, and for driving the ingot and partly-finished tube through the rolls, and other details of construction, which will be fully described in connection with the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a sectional side elevation of my apparatus for rolling tubes, pipes,`columns, and other hollow cylindrical articles, and a longitudinal section of an ingot as it appears when the rolling is in progress. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a crosssection of the exterior rolls, which roll the outside surface of the tube, y8vo., showing a swage-block placed between the rolls to prevent the formation of a n. Fig. 3 is a side view of the swage-block detached, and Fig. 3b is a sectional detail of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical crosssection of the heatingfurnace. Fig. 5 represents a detail view of one of the racks by which the ingot,'pile, or billet is caused to pass through the rolls, and

by which the ingot and tube are supported.`

IOO

Figs. 7 and 7^" represent, respectively, a top view and a sectional detail view of the boxes in which the mandrel-rolls are placed and held.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a twohgh rollingmill, composed of two rolls, B B', having semieircular faces supported in suitable housings and provided with adjusting screws in the usual manner. The rolls are geared together, and the shaft of the upper roll is driven by a worm-wheel gearing, a b.

The object of employing aworm-wheel gearing is to reduce the motion of the rolls to the proper speed without multiplica-tion of gearing.

The device for rolling the interior of the tube consists of revolving rolls constructed in the following manner:

C is a standard placed in front of the rolling-mill at a suitable distance therefromand provided with a hollow arm or extension, C, which projects toward the rolls and terminates just short of the pass between the rolls. In the standard and its extension is formed a bearing for a hollow shaft, D,which is passed through the standard and eXtension,and turns freely on its bearings. This arm or housing supports in juxtaposition to the external rolls the weight of the mandrel, and relieves the bearings of the mandrel shaft or rod at the rear in the housing or standard C. It also prevents the mandrel from bearing on the under side of the ingot or tube while rolling, and by means of the support thus afforded to the mandrel it can be centered perfectly, and thus insure trueness in the rolling ofthe tube. The arm or housing which forms the support does not interfere with the rolling of the tube, as the latter or the ingot,pile,or billet can pass over the same as it passes from or tothe mandrel. One end of the shaft projects out of the standard and carries a spur-wheel, d, which connects with the power. The opposite end projects beyond the end of the extension and between the rolls B B', where it carries a circular head, E. In the face of the head E are formed radial grooves c, (see Fig. 2,where the faceplate is removed,) extending to the periphery of the head. The number' of the grooves in the face of the head corresponds to the mnnber of rolls in the revolving mandrels. Eight are shown; but I do not limit myself to that number, as there may be more or less.

F represents the blocks or boxes for the rollsf, which are placed in the said blocks. The boxes are composed of a pillow-block, N, provided with side recesses, x x, and a capblock, I\", the sides of which project down into the recesses in the sides of the pillowblock, where the two parts are secured together by a turned pin or pins, e, heldin by the si des of the grooves e, in which the blocks orboxes are placed. rlhc blocks are held in the grooves at the front by a disk or face-plate placed over the face ofthe head, and at the bottom by dovetails held in grooves formed in a block or wedge, G, having eight sides or faces cor responding to the number of blocks and rollers in the revolving mandrel. This wedgeblock fits into a corresponding cavity in the head, and it is hollow,so that the shaft or mandrel D passes into it. The blocks are firmly connected with the wedge by the dovetailed connect-ion heretofore referred to; but the connection is of such a nature that the wedge can slide freely in and out of its socket, and when so operated it moves the blocks in their grooves and thereby throws the rolls f a defrnite distance beyond the periphery ofthe head, or withdraws them so that they will project but slightly beyond the head. rlhe object of this construction is to make the rolls f adjustable radially, and thereby, by increasing or diminishing the distance of the rolls from the center of the head, cause the same to reduce the internal surface of the tube more or less, and consequently make the walls of the tube of greater or less thickness.

As before stated, the wedge G is movable for the purpose of adjusting the rolls, andthe de vice for operating the wedge consists ofa rod, H, passed through the shaft D, and having at one end, which is supported in a standard, h, a handwheel, t, and the opposite end screwed into the disk l, which forms the butt of the wedge. By means of the rod and its screwconnection with the wedge the latter can be drawn into its socket and thereby throw the rollers out, or moved back outof its socket for the p urpose of drawing the rollerstoward the center of the head. The rolls f are arranged obliquely to the axis of the mandrel-head, and by the slightly-spiral adjustment thus given to them they are adapted to lead their way in reducing the ingot. To insure a uniform rolling of the exterior of the tube between the surfaces ofthe upper and lower rolls, and especially to prevent the formation of fins on the sides, and thereby give a true cylindrical form tothe exteriolgl provide swageblocksE to act on the sides of the ingot, die., between the rolls. These devices are illustrated in Figs. 3, 3, fb. The swageblockshave double concave edges m m, the curvature of which corresponds to the curvature of the flange of the rolls. Ihe blocks are also hollow, so that a circulation of water can be maintained through them, inlet and outlet pipes being provided for the purpose. The profile of the curved edges ofthe blocks corresponds to the profile of the flanges ofthe rolls, and the sides a of the blocks are curved or made concave at the center or waist, and thus form a curved surface of the same radius as that of the face of the rolls. The blocks are placed between the flanges of the rolls in the manner shown in Fig. 8-that is, the flanges ofthe rolls fit in the curved profile of the block. In this position the blocks are bolted to the housings, so as to be immovable, and the curved faces a of the blocks form a segment sufficiently long to fill up the space between the upper and lower rolls. When, there fore, the ingot is being rolled,thc faces of the upper and lower rolls act upon the surface of ICC the ingot and form the same, while theblocks bear against the parts of the surface not reached by the face of the rolls and work the same uniformly with the part exposed to the rolls. The revolving rollsf have the front corners slightly beveled or chamfered, and the point on the periphery of therolls where this chamfer commences is directly in line with the axes of the upper and lower rolls B B, and thus the points on the outside and inside surface of the ingot where the full rolling action takes place are directly opposite or in line with each other. The true reduction 0f the walls of the ingot, billet, or pile takes place on the inside surface, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. l, where the full thickness of the walls is shown in front of the rolls f,- and `the gradual reduction of the walls by the beveled edges of the said rolls and the full reduction by the face of the rolls in line with the nip of the exterior rolls arealso fully illustrated. The function of the exterior rolls and swage-blocks is principally to sustain the walls of the tube against the pressure and rolling of the internal rolls, and also to assist in condensing the metal and keeping the walls true.

It will be readily understood that the operation of rolling may be reversed-that is, the reduction may be produced on the outside surfaceby making the exterior rolls to rotate and roll'the metal circumferentially, and the interior rolls to roll longitudinally.

rlhe gas-furnace for heating the ingot,`pile, or billet from the inside is shown applied Ato the rolling. machinery in Fig. l in the position it occupies when the ingot is being rolled, and on an enlarged scalein Fig. 4. It is composed of a drum, H', having anges p p, which extend out nearly to the internal diameter of theingot, pile, or billet to be rolled.` The drum is firmly connected with the mandrel-sleeve G of the standard by brackets, braces, or other suitable devices.

To the iiangesp p of the drum is fixed eccentrically an annular plate, l', provided With circumferential iianges, which are joined to the peripheries of the flanges p p. Theshape of the plate I' is such that between the flanges of the drum van annular chamber, o, is formed,

` the inside wall of which is formed by theplate I', and the outside wall by the surface of the ingot, billet, or pile, and between the said plate I and the drum is another annular chamber s.

Chamber r is the heat-chamber, into which the gases (carbonio oxide and hydrogen or other suitable gas or gases, which are furnished by a suitable producer and delivered to the furnace through a pipe or pipes, L) are ignited and the furnace or heat-chamberlled with incandescent gases, which are in contact with the surface of the ingot and by which the metal is raised t-o rolling-heat.

The chamber s is a water-chamber, which forms a water-back for the heatchamber, water supply and outlet pipes being connected with it, so as to maintain a circulation through it.

The object of giving the peculiar construc- 7o tion described and shown to the gas-furnace is to maintain uniform quantity and intensity of heat in every part of the heat-chamber, so that the surface of the ingot will be subjected to the same degree of heat and thereby be heated uniformly all around. I

By making the heat chamber larger or deeper at the bottom, Where the gases are admitted, more space is given for the combustion of the gases; and as the heat tends to the top of the furnace the chamber is made smaller at this point and the body ofheat at that point is restricted,but gradually increases toward the bottom, where the body of heat is the greatest. The water-chamber also is larger at the top than atthe bottom. I do not, however, contine myself to the form of furnace shown, as I desire to claim any furnace placed inside the ingot and arranged to heat the walls uniformly on every side of it. The tube is caused to pass through the rolls, and also sustained or supported at the ends by a device operating with the rolls. This consists of rack-bars I l placed between the ends of the rolls B B and the housings, where they are supported by guides k k. The racks are engaged by rack-pinions Z l, geared with toothed wheels on the shafts of the rolls, by which they are moved at the saine speed as the rolls rotate.

To the rack-bars claws or grips are attached, so as to grip the tube and hold it firmly. These grips, which are not shown, are well-known mechanical appliances, and they are to be arranged for easy attaching and det-aching from the tube. Vhen the ingot is first placed in the apparatus, the rack-bars are back between their guides and the standard, and the grips clasp the ingot in front of the rolls. As the rolling progresses they are one by one removed to permit the ingot to pass the rolls, and when the tube passes out on the opposite side of the :rolls the grips, which have passed to the same side, are connected with the tube.

A separate device for driving the tube between the rolls is rendered necessary on account of the friction of thesWage-blocks on the exterior surface and the resistance of the internal rolls.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The hollow ingot, pile,or billet is placed over the head and rolls and is moved back untilits forward end just covers the furnace. Gas 'is admitted to the furnace and ignited, whereupon the intense heat generated in the heatchamber heats the part of the ingot around the. heat-chamber, and when it is raised to the proper temperature for rolling it is passed into the nip of the rolls, which are put in opera-tion. The ingot is drawn by the grips heretofore described. The exterior roll and swage-blocks bear against the external surface of the billet, ingot, or pile and sustain the same on every side in the line of the nip of ICO the rolls, While the revolving internal rolls operate upon the internal surface, rolling the saine true and reducing the wall of the tube to the required thickness. The internal rolls are revolved at a much higher speed than the external rolls--say about forty revolutions to one-in order, first, that the rolling and reducing ofthe ingot may be effected thoroughly and without choking, and also that the walls of the ingot may bc exposed to the heat long enough to be thoroughly heated.

i While itis intended primarily to reduce the ingot,&c.,to atube or other similar hollow article at onepass,I do not intend to limit myself to completing the operation by one pass through the rolls, as,where the reduction is considerable,it may be necessary to pass the ingot,pile,

vor billet through several times before the reduction is completed.

I claim*- 1. In an apparatus for rolling tubes and other hollow cylindrical articles, the combination of a series of revolving rolls connected with a suitable mandrel-head and adapted to rotate against one surface of the ingot, pile,or billet and reduce the same, a mandrel-shaft, a support for the mandrel and shaft between the bearings and the mandrel and in juxtaposition to the exterior rolls to bear or support the weight of the mandrel, and exterior rolls arranged to operate against the opposite surface of the ingot, pile, or billet, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a series of revolving rolls connected with a suitable mandrel-head and adapted to rotate against one surface of the ingot, pile, or billet and reduce the same, a mandrel-shaft supported in a hollow arm between the bearings of the shaftinthestand ard and the mandrel so as to sustain the weight of the mandrel-head and rolls, and

exterior rolls arranged to operate against the opposite surface of the ingot, pile, or billet, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a mandrel-head and shaft, the revolving rolls f, arranged to rotate against and reduce the internal surface of the ingot, pile,or billet, the sleeve or housing C', and suitable external rolls for operating against the exterior surface, substantially as described.

4. The combination and arrangement of the internal revolving reducing-rollsf, connected with a suitable mandrel-head, with the external rolls, B B', and swage-blocks E', substantially as described.

5. In combination with the rolls f and blocks F, the wedge G and its operating device for setting the said rolls, substantially as described.

6. In combination with t-he devices for rolling the ingot, pile, or billet, therack-bars provided with suitable grips for driving the ingot through the rolls and supporting the same, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for forming tubes from hollow ingots, piles, or billets, a furnace connected with the apparatus and arranged to heat the ingot, pile, or billet from the inside as it is fed to the rolls, substantially as described.

8. In combination with a system of rolls for rolling hollow ingots, piles, or billets into tubes and similar articles, a furnace arranged to heat the ingots, piles, or billets from the inside uniformly and as fast as the same is fed to the rolls, substantially as described.

CHARLES KELLOGG /Vitnesses:

` MILLARD It. JoNns, JULiUs RnHWoLn'r. 

